'Plan is not to shut down Tomas Kaberle': Leafs coach

Tomas Kaberle has never been in the visitors' room at the Air Canada Centre in 12 years nor warmed up for a game in the west end of the rink.

But it's time for the defenceman to officially cut the cord to the Maple Leafs on Saturday. In waving his no-trade clause for a shot at a Stanley Cup with Boston, he can also slice another of Toronto's tenuous lifelines to an eighth-place playoff spot.

The 11th-highest scorer in Leafs history with 520 points is still looking to make an impact in Boston with just three assists and 10 shots on goal in 12 games.

But get the video tribute out of the way and move on was coach Ron Wilson's feeling.

"We'll be aware of where he is on the ice, but our game plan is not to shut down Tomas Kaberle," Leaf coach Ron Wilson said Friday.

"The Bruins have a lot of dangerous weapons. We have to play the game with energy and speed, similar to the way we played in Boston (a 4-3 win on Feb. 15 when word first leaked Kaberle wanted a ticket to Beantown)."

It would be truly ironic if Kaberle scored Saturday, especially on the power play, where a generation of Leaf fans shouted themselves hoarse at Kaberle to shoot more.

"Well he hasn't shot there," Wilson said of Kaberle's low numbers with Boston.

"He plays the way he does and I don't know why he's supposed to shoot when he is such a good passer, one of the best I've seen. The way people stand in front now, he's probably attempted a lot that have been blocked."

Wilson's relationship with Kaberle wasn't always so cordial as he wanted him to play with more of a physical element, but a truce was eventually called at the insistence of general manager Brian Burke.

Centre Tim Brent grew up watching Kaberle on TV in Cambridge and became friends during their brief tenure as Leafs.

"It's kind of strange to see him on highlights in the black and gold," Brent said. "But he's a great dude. He had a lot of great one-liners that seemed to be even funnier with a Czech accent.

"He was very smooth and had great composure with the puck. Something I'm sure we'll talk about for (Saturday's) game is his ability to look guys off. He's someone you'll have to finish your check on every time or he'll make you look bad."

For parting with Kaberle after years of a long-distance romance, Toronto received Boston's first-round pick, likely to be at the bottom of the list in June, forward prospect Joe Colborne and a conditional pick. Boston holds Toronto's more valuable first-round ticket in the Phil Kessel trade and though it won't likely be in lottery territory as Tyler Seguin was last year - every win over the Leafs helps in that regard.

A Bruins' victory in regulation would also send the Leafs out West next week needing nothing less than a sweep of Colorado, Minnesota and Detroit.

"The must-win stuff can wear on you, especially with a young team," Wilson said. "But it's a good experience.Guys are giving the best they have. I'm proud of this team, they're hanging in, we're gaining a lot of experience and it has been a fun run."

At least there won't be a goaltending controversy Saturday with James Reimer going for another win over Boston. For a second day on Friday, he was defending his call to use Jean-Sebastien Giguere on the end of a back-to-back against Florida, with the Leafs getting spanked 4-0.

"Shame on me for playing a Stanley Cup winner, a Conn Smythe winner," Wilson chided his critics, "who, up until he was injured, was our No. 1 goalie.

"I haven't seen Reims score a goal yet or lead a 2-on-1 rush.

"The timing (Thursday) was perfect. The plan last week was that Jiggy was going to play in one of those back-to-back games and he did. If we looked tired, it was the skaters' up front. We've had to play seven in 12 days. We generated nothing on offence, but it had nothing to do with our goaltender.

"If Reimer would have lost 4-0, the exact same (complaints) would have been 'Why would he play Reimer back-to back?' I knew it would be difficult no matter who played goal. Again, Jiggy has played really well for us at times this year, he was 100%, well rested and has been in some games the past couple of weeks."